Extreme Right European militants with a military record are recruited to fly to Israel on September 19, reach West Bank settlements and participate in violent clashes with Palestinians

15/09/11

Gush Shalom: the Occupied Territories are in danger of explosion, also without importation of provocative racists from France. Two months ago, the government made great effort to prevent the fly-in of Palestinians' supporters, who had no intention of using violence. All the more, racists with declared violent intentions must be prevented from coming here.

In letters to the Attorney General, Defense Minister Barak and Minister of Internal Security Aharonovitch, the Gush Shalom movement warns that an extreme right organization in France, "La Ligue de Défense Juive" ("Jewish Defense League"), is recruiting European right-wing extremists with military experience, in order to let them fly as a group to Israel on September 19, a day before the start of UN deliberations on the Palestinian bid for statehood. The French racists intend to arrive at West Bank settlements so as to hold "a militant solidarity campaign", aimed at "helping and strengthening the settlers against Palestinians attacks" and "reinforce the settlements' system of security dispositions".

"This is a clear case of an intent to engage in acts of violence and to throw a lit match into the powder keg in the Occupied Territories, where the situation during the UN discussions would already be tense and sensitive also without the addition of violent racists from abroad" stated Gush Shalom in its letters.

"Two months ago, when it came to the fly-in of supporters of the Palestinians from abroad, the government was most able and willing to invest considerable resources in preventing their arrival, and in detaining and deporting anyone who did manage to land at the Ben Gurion Airport - even though these were people who explicitly stated their completely non-violent intentions, and indeed those who did arrive in Israel made not the slightest violent act.

All the more, the government and judicial authorities must undertake similar measures to prevent the entry of people who do mean to take part in acts of violence, possibly to initiate them – precisely at this sensitive and dangerous moment".

The JDL is organizing a journey of solidarity with our Israeli brothers living in the land of our ancestors in Judea and Samaria on September 19-25.

This trip is reserved for activists who have military experience: The aim of this expedition is to firmly support our brothers facing assaults from the Palestinian occupants and thus to reinforce the security dispositions of Jewish towns in Judea and Samaria.